When you want the best binocular for marine or astronomy use, nothing surpasses the Fujinon Polaris FMT-SX. Fujinon applies special anti-reflection coatings to achieve the outstanding light transmission important for sharp details when viewing at a distance. Protected with waterproofing and fogproofing, this binocular is highly valued by boaters and astronomers. Fujinon covers this binocular with a limited lifetime warranty.

Just got my new pair of 10x70 FMT-SX binoculars yesterday (very fast delivery), spent a good deal of last night and this morning checking them out on the night sky. I had tortured myself for years with cheaper models that would never stay in alignment and would cause double vision just by adjusting something or touching the eyepieces. This pair of Fujinon's is perfect and a very solid design WOW now I can just relax and enjoy the view instead of trying to flex it into alignment. Perfect size for limited hand holding. I had luckily ordered a, metal tripod adapter that screws in to the front at the flex point so no vibration issues etc..., ORDER YOURS TODAY take it from me (and all the other high ratings for this item and Eagle Optics!) it's worth it and the price is sure right. Thanks guys!

Notes on Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX binoculars
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11/15/2013

by
Michael B. from Scottsdale, Arizona

I was going to wait until I could take these out to a very dark sky location before I wrote anything, but decided to provide my brief impressions of using them in my light-polluted suburban location. In one word, they're outstanding. This is not only a handsome looking binocular, but it's extremely well manufactured. It's solid, exudes quality (I could find no manufacturing flaws or cosmetic defects of any kind), and functions exceptionally well. Stars are small pinpoints almost to the edge of the field, at which point some minor flaring occurs. Also, during daylight viewing, I noticed no curvature of field or significant distortion, nor did I observe any chromatic aberration; although, I did not specifically look for the later problem. Optically, these are excellent binoculars with outstanding build quality.

On a clear, dark night, after you have let your eyes relax, the views are not like looking through some optical instrument, but more like being out in space. You feel like you're out beyond the end of the objective lenses. You're not looking at the stars, but instead you've been transported to them. You're in among them, immersed in all their glory. Even from my light-polluted suburbs, when there is no visible moon, looking at areas of sky around Cassiopeia are magnificent. One can start to see thousands of additional stars just at the limit of visibility using averted vision. The thought of viewing this area out at a truly dark site is almost mouthwatering.

Update: I managed to observe from the Picket Post Mountain trailhead, a reasonably dark sky location, about 60 miles or so east of Central Phoenix. Clouds had been moving in and out during the day and it didn't look good for a night under the stars, but very late in the afternoon the skies cleared completely, and it appeared like the viewing out at Picket Post would be good, so my wife and I took the drive hoping the cloudless skies would last. When we arrived it was clear for about thirty minutes before a band of clouds moved overhead, but then we got lucky. There was about a ninety-minute window before the clouds moved in for the remainder of the evening, but the views during those ninety minutes were wonderful. The seeing was excellent, and the skies were more transparent than I've ever seen them at that location. The Andromeda galaxy (M31) was magnificent. The galaxy stretched across about four degrees of field, and the central core was starting to reveal detail. The Triangulum galaxy (M33) in Triangulum was also quite impressive, but of course, much dimmer and less defined than M31. It appeared quite large and was easy to locate, however. The Double Cluster was a dazzling spectacle of sparkling diamonds, as were the stars around Mirfak (Mel 20). It was hard to move on from this view. The stars around Cassiopeia were almost breathtaking, and M52 and M103 were easily spotted. M34 was large and impressive with many individual stars visible. The three main open clusters in Auriga, M38, M36, and M37 were easily acquired, and M38 looked especially interesting on this night.

Aldebaran in Taurus shined brilliantly, and the stars of the Hyades were well framed in the big Fujinons. The Pleiades (M45) was, as usual, a magnificent sight. I managed to nail a few other celestial delights before the clouds moved in completely and ended what was a relatively short, but stellar (forgive the pun) viewing session.

Some Comments on Exit Pupil and Eye Relief:I'm well past the age, where according to some conventional wisdom, I should be buying binoculars with a smaller exit pupil "so as not to waste any of the light falling on the eye," but the large exit pupil has some distinct advantages even if your eyes don't quite dilate to seven millimeters.

First off, the 10x model has much better eye relief over the 16x model, and if you wear glasses, this will be very important. In my case, I'm at the point where I can focus some binoculars without my glasses on, and there are others that don't quite come to focus. I can focus the 10x70 Fujinons without my glasses, and this makes for much more comfortable observing. However, if my eyes change to the point where I must wear my glasses, the extra eye relief will allow viewing the entire field of view while wearing those glasses.

Secondly, the larger exit pupil of the 10x model makes adjusting the interpupillary distance (IPD) for different users much easier. Put another way, it makes the binocular more forgiving of less than perfect individual viewer adjustment. (If you're the only person using the binocular, this particular feature probably won't matter much.)

Thirdly, the depth of field is greater on these than on the higher magnification model. To put this another way, the zone of focus is huge and focusing is much more forgiving.

Fourthly, the field of view is greater; I calculate that the amount of sky you can see is 75.6 percent greater than with the 16x model--not a bad tradeoff for choosing less magnification.

The fifth reason I chose these is because, within limits, they are hand holdable for reasonable periods of time given your strength. I'm in my 60s and don't have much trouble holding these for reasonably long stretches of time. However, I recommend a steady tripod or parallelogram mount for more steady viewing, but again, these are hand holdable for shorter periods of time. While viewing at Picket Post, my wife and I observed from two chaise lounge chairs which made for very comfortable and rewarding viewing.

Finally, to repeat somewhat what I stated above, the huge eyepieces with long eye relief, and large exit pupils create a unique viewing experience. These binoculars have a tendency to immerse you in the jeweled canopy above your head. This is somewhat subjective, but I think most people will see it. On a clear dark night, after you've been outside awhile and your eyes are relaxed and night adapted, the views are not like looking through some optical instrument, but more like being out in the firmament. You feel like you're out beyond the end of the objective lenses. You're not looking at the stars, but instead you've been transported to them. You're in among thousands of sparkling gems.

If, however, you want to see more detail on extended objects, the 16x model is the better choice assuming the shorter eye relief is acceptable, and you keep them mounted on a steady tripod. There is something to be said for the higher power binoculars if you want to see very faint galaxies, nebulae and star clusters, to say nothing about observing excellent detail on bodies like the moon. If field size and eye relief are more important to you, then the 10x model may be the better choice. In summary, both of these binoculars are outstanding optical instruments, and I believe the purchaser would be happy with either pair. Moreover, I may be adding the 16x pair next year to complement my 10x model.

There is one negative to these binoculars that should be noted. They do have a significant outgassing odor resulting from the manufacturing process. This should not be permanent, though. When I first received my pair, I took them out of their very substantial packaging and let them air out for a few days. This helped significantly, and I'm sure that within time the odor will abate.

I hope this review helps any potential purchaser.

Mike BrownScottsdale, Arizona

Fabulous!
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06/15/2013

by
Tom from Joliet, IL

Fujinons are simply the best I've ever looked through (I bought 3 different sizes). I keep them on a tripod overlooking my dozen birdfeeders 40 to 50 ft away. I don't use the 10 x 70's for birding hikes because they are a bit heavy. The individual focus took a bit of getting used to, but the depth of focus is much greater than the center focus binoculars I've used. And these are spectacular on a clear night.

High Quality Astronomy Binocular
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06/07/2013

by
Ted Z. from Green Valley, AZ

I purchased these binoculars for astronomy, to supplement telescope viewing. The best feature of this binocular is ease of viewing while wearing glasses. They simply snap into view, with no real shifting or adjusting to get a clear and full field. They also were selected for light gathering ability, and they will not dissapoint. When compared to similar models, I feel they outperform the others. I now really enjoy observing nebula throughout the sky. Lastly, I prefer individual eye focus, also on this model; once set, you do not have to keep readjusting, as many tend to do with the single middle style of focus. I should also mention their outstanding build quality, clearing second to none. Some comment about high cost, I feel you get what you pay for, and these binoculars are simply worth the money.

wanna see things close ???
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09/11/2011

by
Mark from MO

These are the best Binoculars i have ever owned . I have looked threw a lot of differnt pairs and these by far are the best!! Im a big duck hunter and i can't say how well they work-- you can look them in the eyes !!!!!!

excellent binoculars
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11/12/2010

by
larry from chowchilla ca.

these 10x70 fmt-sx bino-s has to be one of the best if not the best 10 power bino-s made i do not see any thing they could do too make them better very very sharp an bright looking at stars i just do not see how you could do any better then these. an the plus is a very fair price, price out a good german made 10 power binocular they will cost you from 2 to over 4 times as much an your not going too see any better!!!!.

Great Astronomy Bino's
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10/05/2010

by
Chris W. from Grants Pass, Oregon

I bought the Fujinon Polaris 10x70FMT-SX recently, solely on their reputation. I am not disappointed. The optics are fantastic and they really excel at astronomical use. They are really light for their size and are easy to hand hold. I am very pleased with these and know they will be great for sky sweeping and long distance viewing.

Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX
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10/02/2010

by
Kevin from Auckland, New Zealand

I've owned a pair of these great binoculars for 10 years. They have a sharp flat field of view, bright well corrected images and excellent mechanical construction. I've used mine at least 100 times, often for public viewing.Chiefly I use them for astronomy but have used them on dusk for observing waders. I always use a tripod or parallelogram mount as they are heavy. Fabulous to use, great eye relief and as I have said above they really deliver optically and mechanically.I rate these 5 stars.My partner loves them too and she considers them hers!!!They really are fabulous to use. Comet Mc Naught a few years back in these binoculars was astounding as was Hale Bopp and Linear!!

Fujinon Polaris 10 x 70 FMT-SX binoculars
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07/20/2010

by
O from El Paso

I received the Fujinon binoculars neatly packaged and on schedule.I anxiously awaited for the first clear night to use them. I quickly found out why so many other binoculars are compared to these. The pinpoint images of the stars was remarkable. In spite of their weight, it was difficult to put them down. I've never seen the night sky so clearly. Well worth the price!

Fujinon Goes Deep Sky
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07/01/2009

by
john dugan from San Diego

I bought my Fujinon 10 x 70 binoculars from Eagle Optics and knew i had made a great choice. The optics are superb. Looking at the Lagoon Nebula in the Milky Way is tremendous. Scanning the Sagitarius star clouds of the Milky Way is awesome. These are just great binoculars as are all Fujinon binoculars like my 7 x 50's. You can't find a nicer pair of 10 x 70's. You can hold them almost steady for looking at individual stars and planets and scanning the skies is fine but I highly suggest buying the binocular bracket at time of purcahse for use with a tripod. Great choice.